After a tense interview with Elon Musk, Don Lemon says his deal with X has been canceled
In the wake of a testy interview with Elon Musk, former television host Don Lemon’s deal for a new talk show on X blew up just days before it was set to air.
Mr. Musk ended Mr. Lemon’s partnership with The conversation was tense at times, Mr. Lemon said, as he asked probing questions about the upcoming U.S. presidential election and Mr. Musk’s various business ventures.
Mr. Lemon said he would release the interview on March 18. “My questions were respectful and broad, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election,” Mr. Lemon said in an interview. rack. “We had a good conversation. It was clear he thought differently. His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas shared doesn’t seem to include questions from people like me.
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The cancellation of a show that Mr. Musk promised would have his “full support” is the latest self-inflicted disruption to business operations at X in recent months. In November, Musk told advertisers not to spend money on his platform, using a curse word to turn them away, and accused them of trying to “blackmail” him after he appeared to endorse an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory about X. an expensive exodus.
Mr. Lemon was one of several headliners, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, who signed contracts this year to produce long-form video content on platform to incentivize content creators to generate premium content that brands would want to advertise against.
X had agreed to lend his financial support to the establishment of Mr. Lemon, called ‘The Don Lemon Show’. But the company said in a statement that it would no longer pay Mr. Lemon to create content for the site.
“The Don Lemon Show is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship, because we believe in providing a platform for creators to scale their work and connect with new communities,” the company said in a statement posted on X. “However, like any business, we reserve the right to make decisions regarding our business partnerships, and after careful consideration, X has decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show.”
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Mr. Lemon said he would continue to seek payment from X. “Don has a deal with X and expects to be paid for it,” she said. “If we have to go to court, we will.”
X’s recent video deals – including the one with Mr. Lemon – were led by X CEO Linda Yaccarino, a former NBC Universal executive who has leaned on her television experience to grow X’s content portfolio. The uproar highlighted the challenges Ms. Yaccarino faces as she tries to lure advertisers and content creators to the platform in the shadow of Mr. Musk’s impulsive leadership.
Ryan Mac reporting contributed.